Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Koło Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Koło

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,451 in Koło.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,082 in Koło.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,714 in Koło.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 14% less than in Koło, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Koło is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$10.87 zł 41.23

-58.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$41.26 zł 157

11.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.11 zł 30.78

9.00%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.54 zł 13.43

-13.56%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.92 zł 7.28

-61.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.67 zł 6.34

-76.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.35 zł 12.73

-27.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.68 zł 13.95

2.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.07 zł 4.06

111.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.29 zł 4.90

40.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.42 zł 5.39

58.45%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.31 zł 12.57

-32.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.19 zł 34.87

112.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.71 zł 25.46

-45.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.05 zł 41.91

18.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.05 zł 3.98

207.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.78 zł 6.77

-8.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.74 zł 6.60

36.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.90 zł 10.99

-30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.95 zł 3.59

61.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.13 zł 4.28

32.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.25 zł 4.73

-21.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.60 zł 2.27

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.20 zł 19.74

-14.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.71 zł 25.45

173.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.14 zł 4.34

63.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.59 zł 6.04

68.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.07 zł 4.05

31.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$32.14 zł 122

-63.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.20 zł 8.33

41.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.76 zł 2.89

36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$11.02 zł 41.83

28.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.67 zł 6.35

-21.56%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$34.0K zł 128.9K

-18.14%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$30.0K zł 113.9K

10.64%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$122 ฿4,118

$273 zł 1,037

-55.22%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.59 ฿457

$8.62 zł 32.69

57.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$16.51 zł 62.6

13.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$36.33 zł 138

66.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$19.24 zł 73.0

-11.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.06 zł 26.79

28.47%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$706 ฿23.8K

$342 zł 1,299

106.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$8,070 zł 30.6K

95.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$91.3 zł 346

-35.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$36.56 zł 139

-3.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$82.0 zł 311

40.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$93.9 zł 356

-10.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$644 zł 2,444

-2.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$498 zł 1,889

-10.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$966 zł 3,663

111.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$823 zł 3,124

81.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,812 zł 10.7K

23.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,093 zł 7,940

23.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.75

-21.04%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Koło: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $644 in Koło. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $41.00 in Koło for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $214 per month, with Koło cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Koło: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Koło differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $1,451 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $2,176 in Koło to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $644 in Koło. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 175% less than in Koło. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $342 in Koło. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,451 in Koło, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Koło. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Koło are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Koło. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.